Young Musicians Wow Family and Friends [IMAGE GALLERY and VIDEO]

The elementary music program was in the spotlight over the past few weeks, as band, orchestra and choral groups showcased their talents for families, friends and teachers. Among the highlights were performances on May 31, June 6 and June 7.

Band Musicians

Conductors Paul Tomashefsky and Karen Forrest lead the grade five and six concert bands in a performance at the school auditorium on May 31.

The grade five musicians performed five pieces. Four pieces were featured by the grade six band, including the Liberty March by John Edmonson. Forrest joked that she told the students the piece was also known as the theme to Masterpiece Theater, a comment that was met with silence. She realized the students were too young to know what she was talking about.

Orchestra Musicians

The All-Elementary Spring String Concert was held on Wednesday, June 6at the auditorium. Strings instructors Judy Gerratt and Valerie Clemans-Castilla welcomed a standing-room-only crowd of parents and students to an evening concert featuring the school’s third, fourth and fifth grade orchestras. 

“What a wonderful town we live in,” commented Gerratt as she told the audience that students in the orchestra play violin, viola or cello (beginning in fourth grade) and have weekly music lessons and rehearsals at school.  She said they have “all worked very hard this year.”

The concert began with over 200 third-grade students from , and playing either violin or viola together on the same stage.  Featured songs include Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Hot Cross Buns and the Cabbage Song.

The concert continued with the Fourth Grade String Orchestra
playing favorites such as Frère Jacques, Bohemian Stomp and The
Square Dance.  

After a brief intermission, the audience was treated to two pieces by the Mill Pond Chamber Ensemble.  The evening concluded with the Mill Pond Fifth Grade String Orchestra playing “Spring” from the Four Seasons and Fiddles on Fire, before a combined Fourth and Fifth Grade Orchestra finale of Old Joe Clark.

Gerratt and Clemans-Castilla congratulated their students on a
wonderful performance and commented on how disciplined and dedicated they have been to their music studies at Mill Pond.

Choral Musicians

The Mill Pond Elementary School Grade Five and Grade Six Choral Ensembles with the Mill Pond Jazz Band performed their Annual Spring Concert on Thursday, June 7 in the Mill Pond auditorium.

Tomashefsky led the Grade 5 and 6 Jazz Ensemble in eight numbers, including an arrangement he put together of Bill Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire, Sunny by Bobby Hebb and other original and classic pieces. 

The Jazz Band performance featured various solos on instruments including the flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, French horn, alto sax, drum, percussion and piano. 

Sonia Rose, accompanied by Judea Quinn on the piano, led the 5^th and 6^th Grade Chorale ensembles. The 5^th Grade Chorus sang tunes with international influence such as A Great Big Sea (Newfoundland), Good Night (Russian) and Shake the Papaya Down (Calypso). The 6^th Grade Chorus included songs such as Dansi Na Kuimba (Dance and Sing), It Don’t Mean a Thing (If it Ain’t Got That Swing), Lean on Me and Don’t Stop Believing.

If you attended any of the concerts, share your photos and videos with family, friends and neighbors by uploading them to this collection!

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